[OFFICIAL] The altering of images and cut-and-paste needs to stop

[Ranger1985]

Given all this tomfoolery, I guess I should be grateful that I'm pretty much computer-illiterate! LOL!

Thanks, though, for enforcing INTEGRITY!

[looloo1597]

WI is an awesome sight thanks for making it keep up the good work!

[redinky]

Originally Posted by Justin

I need everyone's attention please. Over the past 3-4 weeks, I've noticed a great deal of users making things up. At times, they are titled "BREAKING NEWS" to imitate WI's official news and are intended to earn attention for the thread creator. This is not the way things are done on WI.

In addition, I've noticed an increasingly disturbing behavior of altered images. Without fail, when we post a story about a new Webkinz, someone or more than one person, will create a thread either saying that they got the same Webkinz (with copied pictures, or cut-n-pasted images), or they'll make up something completely out of the blue.

For example, someone faked an image today to try and get themselves on the front page of WI by posting (and PMing me) a clearly faked image of their pet's bio, saying it was friends with a lizard. This will not be tolerated.

Another thing we've noticed is that users have been copying the "Moderator" "Admin" etc bars and putting them in their avatars. This will not be tolerated. If you are caught doing this, your custom avatar and signature image privileges will be revoked.

This behavior does 2 things on WI, neither of which are desirable:

1. You are actually attempting to undermine the credibility of WebkinzInsider.Com. By posting fake images, if we were to post them on our front page, you would make WI a bad source of information. Your desire to be 'famous' on WI would actually hurt the entire WI community as a whole. This will not be tolerated.

2. With the increase in fake images and stories, any time someone posts something new, they are met with overwhelming skepticism. At times, it is warranted, but other times, the user is telling the truth! Everyone needs to be a bit nicer about it. If you're concerned that it might be fake or a lie, flag the post and let the staff decide!

The more fake images are posted, the more time we have to waste in validating the authenticity of the real ones. Please, please, don't do this anymore. It doesn't help anyone, and is downright selfish.

Starting from this day forward, faked images and stories are now a bannable offense and is included in the forum rules as a bannable offense. Those that have done it in the past will not be banned, but, moving forward, since these stories and images are hurtful to the community, we must ban anyone who does this.

Does this mean we can't do our own little news stories in the creative writing section?

[murphy20071]

Thanks Justin. I think everyone has listened to you

[pup5115]

thanks justin! i would never copy someones discovery or make something up by editing webkinz world things to make it look like i've discovered something new. that is just plain rude! and copying the mod or admin bar? that's terrible!!!!!

thanks

-pup5115

Originally Posted by redinky

Does this mean we can't do our own little news stories in the creative writing section?

no, it means you can't copy anyone else's images off of theirs, editing it, and saying you found something too. and that we can't put an edited image up to make it look like you have discovered something that isn't real.

i think i'm right, justin would probably have a better answer though

[bookworm42]

Is it alright to copy-paste things, etc. for avatars and things? I.e. putting a webkinz on a background?
Thank you or the new rule. This is going to make it a lot easier to sort through information and make sure it's real.

[Sgarabo]

Thanks Justin! I have a few free websites [they're made on a website so they don't exactly belong to me but I am a founder] and one person set their avatar as the administrator bar and kept asking to be an administrator. Thanks so much, again!

-Sophia

[mulberry59]

WoW! I am very surprised to hear about this. I'm new and have just started posting but haven't run into this type of activity. I'm so glad to hear it won't continue. What are people thinking? Everyone here is so nice and welcoming, I can't imagine having to stoop to such tactics to get noticed?

Thanks for watching out for all of us and providing such a wonderful site!

[toricutie]

i did not know about this problem but I am glad someone noticed & brought it to WI attention. good work all for doing so- this is meant to be for the kids & us " crazies" adults of kids who are webkinz lovers.